MGH's main entrance on Coxwell Avenue is closed as the next phase of our redevelopment project begins. Patients and visitors can use the new temporary main entrance on Sammon Avenue between Coxwell Avenue and Knight Street. View our campus map.
#IamMGH tells the stories of our people. Meet Dr. Celia Atkinson, Chief of Paediatrics and Medical Co-Director of Maternal, Newborn and Child Services at Michael Garron Hospital (MGH).
"MGH isn't just a workplace; it's my first and only full-time professional home. I’ve been here for almost 17 years and have had the honour of serving as the Chief of Paediatrics for over seven years.
My calling for healthcare started early. I was the little girl always playing with dolls and a stethoscope. That passion led me on an academic path: I hold an undergraduate, master’s degree and doctorate in biochemistry. I originally planned to teach, but ultimately, my clinical drive won out and I chose to attend medical school.
I knew paediatrics was right for me when I did my obstetrical rotation and found myself more drawn to the baby than the mom!
During my fourth year of residency, I did an elective in anaesthesia at MGH, and that’s when I first experienced the genuine kindness that defines the culture here. Not only was the anaesthesia team exceptional but the paediatric culture itself seems to naturally attract caring and giving people.
When I graduated, I interviewed at many places, but MGH was simply where I felt I belonged.
I still maintain a deep interest in biochemistry and academics. I fulfill both by seeing patients with genetic and metabolic conditions at The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) and by teaching as an assistant professor at the University of Toronto.
Being a paediatrician is profoundly rewarding. There is nothing more stressful to a parent than having a sick child. To be able to help a family navigate this difficult time is the greatest privilege. Furthermore, many chronic conditions begin in childhood and helping to navigate these early can bring about much healthier outcomes as the child grows up. That's a long-term impact I cherish.
As the Chief of Paediatrics at MGH, it is an honour to contribute to building and advancing the program. This means bringing in a dream team of professionals to serve the East Toronto community and building expertise in, for example, sub-specialties like gastroenterology, infectious disease and adolescent medicine.
Balancing everything I love is an ongoing act: giving my all to this job, the patients and families I help, while still prioritizing my own family and personal time. One thing that helps me balance the day is my sweet tooth – I treat myself to a cookie for every dictation I complete!"
